This book is meant to be a broad look into the reasons why humans alter their bodies in order to communicate something about ourselves to others. Whether we use clothes, tattoos, piercings, body paint, hair styles, or accessories, humans around the world have all used their bodies as a way to reflect their culture and their personal values or achievements.

There is certainly a wealth of excellent books and academic research around this subject. However, after teaching this course for several years, I realized that when students are learning about a culture, its rituals, human behavior, and dress, it is important to see vivid images of cultures, watch videos that show behaviors in action, and reflect on how different cultures can give us insight into our own behaviors. That was the motivation behind writing this text — to give students more than text! Included here are lots of images, video links, opportunities for reflection, and ways to test your understanding. It blends references to pop culture with sociological concepts, explores broad cultural characteristics with specific examples, and offers insight into historic and contemporary cultures.